Crossed Unions
by OctaviaKeybearer
Summary: Ava tries her best to help Gula with the page. But when Ira says he's willing to hurt Gula to get it. She leaves, to live with Gula, and, much to her dismay, is constantly hunted by Ira. Ava recognized her feelings for Gula, but doesn't want to tell him. She's afraid of being rejected. Little did she know, that he felt the same way. Will things work out between them?


I felt a sudden wrench in my chest, and knew something was wrong. "Gula. Oh no." I took off at a run, racing to the warehouse my heart was telling me to go. I got there just to see Gula collapse to the ground, Aced looming over him. He raised his Keyblade. I threw myself in front of him. "Please, Stop!" His eyes were unrelenting. He raised his blade higher, preparing to strike. I shielded Gula's body with my own.

Please let him be alright, please, I thought. I was preparing for the impact. It didn't come. I looked up. He willed his Keyblade to disappear. "You too, huh?" With that, he staggered out of the warehouse, clutching his arm. I looked at Gula's unconscious face, and tears came to my eyes.

I managed to pull him off the ground, and supported him. "Why did it have to come to this?" I found a small abandoned building, where I knew no one would look, and I set him down carefully. I gathered some fabric from off of the ground, and made a makeshift bed. I pulled him onto it gently. "I need supplies." I put a hand on his cheek. "I'll be right back." I stood, and then ran back to the castle. When I got there, I opened the door, only to find Ira standing there. He narrowed his eyes. "Is something wrong, Ava?" I shook my head.

"No, Ira. I'm fine. I just have to get something." With that, I walked away from him, up to my room. I grabbed some medical supplies, and left. As I ran back to the house, many confused wielders were looking at as I raced past them, but I couldn't care less. All I could worry about right now was Gula. I ran into the house, and shut the door. My Chirithy appeared next to me. "Is he going to be all right?" It asked. "I don't know. I really hope so."

I went to his side, and sat down. I pulled off his cloak, leaving him in his dark gray long sleeve. I touched his ribs, and he made a little noise. "Okay, broken ribs." I cast Cura on him, which got rid of the cuts on his face and arms, but it didn't completely heal the broken bones.

That would need a more powerful cure spell. "Uses too much energy." I muttered. I had to reserve it.

I pushed up his shirt, and saw a large, nasty looking purple bruise on his chest. I rubbed ointment on the area carefully, and picked up the bandages, winding them around him. He stirred. I looked at him sadly. Why? Why did this have to happen? As soon as I had bandaged him, I pulled his shirt down and out his robe back on.

I put a hand to his cheek. He smiled a little, and leaned into my touch. I ran My fingers through his hair. It was still the Dark, Golden Blonde I remembered. "Ava..." He muttered. I quickly pulled my hand away. My Chirithy was sitting next to me.

"Could you stand watch outside? Aced might come back, or a Wielder, and I need to keep him hidden." It nodded again, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. I looked at him again, gazing at his features.

I knew I wouldn't see them for a long time. I ran a hand through his hair one last time, and placed his mask back on his face. I slipped a hand into his, and held it gently. I sat there by him, holding his hand, for a long time.

I heard the little Pattering of tiny footsteps against the stone. My Chirithy burst into the room. "Someone's coming! They're headed this way!" I scratched under its chin, and It giggled.

"Watch him, okay? Keep him safe." It nodded, and sat there faithfully. I stood, and ran out to the square. "Ira?" He turned. "I know Gula's here." I froze. "Wh-what?" He walked around me. "Tell me where he is."

"Wait! Why do you want to know?" He didn't answer. "What are you going to do?" He kept walking. "That's none of your concern." I ran in front of him, stopping him from walking any further. "Don't." I looked him in the eyes. "I won't let you near him!"

"So that's it... I'll go." He turned and walked towards the castle. I watched until he was out of eyesight. My Chirithy ran up to me. "He's awake! Come quick!" It said, frantically waving Its little arms. I raced to where Gula was. I opened the door, and saw a box topple over, Gula on the ground next to it.

I ran to his side. "Gula! What are you doing up? You haven't recovered!" He propped himself up against the wall. "I'm fine." He said, voice strained. "Something happen?" I stared at the ground. "Ira was here. He wanted me to give you up." Gula's gaze drifted away. "I knew it. It's finally come to this." I looked at him. "Come to what?" "Everyone wants to know about the Lost page."

"The Lost page?" He nodded. "Yeah. It's a page the Master gave me. It doesn't exist in any of our books. It contains a passage about an inevitable betrayal." He looked up.

"It talks about, "The one who bears the sigil". That's it. So, I don't know what to make of it, to be honest. My Role is to find out who it is. I suspected Aced, and went to confront him." He shook his head. "And look what happened." I finally spoke.

"Why are you telling me this, Gula? I have enough to think about, keeping with the Master's teachings, and my Role." He took my hand in his. "Always walking the straight and narrow." He looked away from me.

"I was a fool for basing my actions on that Lost page. Everything in the passage is ambiguous at best. That's why I need to find out." He gave my hand a little squeeze. I stared at him. "But how?" "By asking the Master."

"But He's not here anymore." He stared at the wall. "I'm going to summon Kingdom Hearts." I gasped. "What!?" He had a determined look in his eyes. "Then He'll have no choice but to come back!"

"But summoning Kingdom Hearts is forbidden!" He grabbed my other hand as well. "That's exactly Why!" He got to his knees. "The only way to get him back is to break the rules! If things don't change, the entire world is doomed!" I looked away. "But, to go through with it, I'll need Lux. I don't have nearly enough! You always do the right thing. Help me with this." I kept my head down.

"I'm sorry. I know you want the Master to return. But you don't now how summoning Kingdom Hearts will affect the rest of the world. The Master... He forbid it for a reason." As I spoke, I carefully pulled my hands out of his. "I'm afraid I can't help you." He stared at the ground. "I see." He struggled to his feet, and staggered out, leaning against the door frame.

"May my heart be my guiding Key." I heard him say. I felt tears start to fall. He walked away, leaning on the wall for support. My Chirithy appeared as soon as he was out the door. "Why are you letting him go?" I let out a sob.

"Why does he do this to me, Chirithy? I want to help him so much... But I can't. I have to fulfill my Role." The tears were streaming down my face non-stop now, making water marks on my Robes.

"I told him No. I know it was the right thing to do, So why do I feel so wrong inside? I'm so confused..." I took off my mask to dry my tears with my sleeve, and then put it back on. "Come on. We have to go home. It's getting late."

I walked out, and looked down the street. I didn't see Gula anywhere. My Chirithy tugged on my robes. "Are you okay?" I looked at It, and smiled. "Yes. I'm fine." I picked it up and cradled it in my arms. "Let's go." I walked to the castle. When I got there, I didn't see anyone up. "I guess everyone went to bed." It looked up at me. "You're all dirty. You should take a bath." I nodded.

"Okay. Run along." It disappeared. I went to my room and got some clothes, and then ran myself a bath. As soon as I hit the water, all the tension in my body melted away. I scrubbed my arms, face, legs, and back. Then I massaged the soap into my hair. I sat there for a while, feeling relaxed.

Then I thought about Gula. "Is he really going to summon Kingdom Hearts?" I murmered to myself. I washed the soap away, and stood up, still thinking.

I dried myself off, and then used a small spell to dry my hair. I got dressed and went into My room. I sat down on the bed. "Why? Why now?" My Chirithy appeared next to me. "Why what?" I sighed sadly. "Why does Gula do this to me? I have enough problems as it is. I didn't need him to add another one to my pile of Responsibilities." It shook Its head.

"I don't know what he's thinking. I don't believe his plan is going to work."

"No. It won't. Tomorrow, I'm going to go look for him. Maybe I can convince him to give up." It laid down on my lap. "I don't know. If anyone can help him see sense, it's you." I pulled the covers aside, and got into bed. "Hopefully. Come on, we need sleep." I laid down and held my Chirithy in my arms.

After a little while, I heard the slow breathing of it, sleeping peacefully. I looked out the window. "May your heart be your guiding Key, Gula. Don't go astray." I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, someone was knocking on my door.

I opened my eyes, and fastened my mask. I pulled my robes around me, and opened the door, my eyes heavy with sleep. It was Ira. "Yes?" He looked irritated. "Where is Gula? I need to find him." I Rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Ira. I know you think I know where he is. But I don't. Even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. So go bother someone else." I closed the door on a stunned Ira. I walked back over and sat on my bed.

"Why did you do that!? He's your leader!" I frowned. "Well, he's not doing a very good job of it, that's for sure." I grumbled. "Never gonna help him." It sighed. "You still could have been a bit more polite. The master did leave him in charge." I stood, and put on my Foretellers attire.

"I don't care, Chirithy. If he lays a single finger on Gula, he's not my leader anymore. I won't hesitate to protect Gula from him." It sat still.

"Alright. I understand." I looked at It. "Can you go ask other Chirithy's if they've seen Gula?" It nodded, and made a little poof as it disappeared. I walked out of my room, and into the dining room.

I sat down and began to eat my breakfast. Aced was giving Invi a look of pure malice across the table, which Invi happily returned. I tried to ignored them. After I was done, I stood up, and went to leave, but Ira stopped me.

"Ava, where are you going?" I ignored him and walked out the door. I walked to the fountain in the middle of the town square, and sat down. It was very peaceful, and a good place to go if you needed to think. I stared at the sky, enjoying its pure, breathtaking shade of blue. I heard steps behind me, and turned to see who it was.

It was a Boy. He was wearing black pants with silver on the hem, a gold belt, a creme colored quarter sleeve, and a Silver vest with gold lining. He had dark, messy golden hair that shone in the light, and Hazel eyes that looked like Honey. It took me a moment to recognize who it was. I looked at him in disbelief. "Gula? Is that you?" He grinned sheepishly, and put a hand behind his head.

"Been a while since you've seen me without the mask, huh?" I nodded. "Yeah. I guess it has." He took a step closer. "May I join you?" I nodded. He sat next to me. "Why are you here, Ava?" I looked at the ground. "I needed some time to think." He sighed.

"You and me both." We sat there silently, earning a few stares from passing wielders. "How is your quest for Lux going?" He looked away. "I haven't started."

"Gula... I don't think you should go through with this. It isn't a good idea. Even if the Master did come back, I'm not sure he'd have the answer. He gave you that page for a reason, so you could figure it out on your own." He looked at the ground, and was quiet for a moment. "I know." He said. "Then why are you going to summon Kingdom Hearts?" He shook his head.

"I'm not. I'm just going to stay away for a while. Get things sorted out. Decifer the page myself." I felt an intense feeling of relief wash over me. "What if I helped?" He turned to me. "Don't you have your own Role to take care of?"

"Yes, but I don't have to work on it constantly. I have a lot of free time." He nodded slowly. "I... Guess that would be all right... As long as you don't tell anyone where I am, or how to find me." I smiled at him again.

"Of course not. I understand. Besides, Ira probably won't even be able to recognize you. I know you better than anyone else, and even I almost couldn't." He had a puzzled look on his face. "I look that different?" I nodded.

"Yes. But you look really good in those. Where did you get them?" He looked at his clothes. "They're from before I became a Foreteller. You weren't here then, so you've never seen me in them. I doubt Ira remembers them." I giggled. He looked at me. "What's so funny?" He asked. "I kept all of mine too." He tilted his head. "Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled a little too. "When you come to see me, you'll have to blend in. Ira might suspect if he sees you wandering around with me. You can wear those." I nodded. "Come with me. I'll show you where I'll be staying." He stood up, and offered me his hand. I took it, and stood up. He started walking, and I followed.

He led us farther from the castle, and after we had been walking for a little while, he came to a stop in front of a very large house. It was painted a soft brown, and had two levels. It had two cherry trees growing on either side of the it. It looked... Peaceful. Quiet. He opened the door, and I stepped inside. "This is Yours?" He nodded.

"It was my family's home. They left a long time ago, so it's been mine for a while. I just didn't have a use for it until now. I still have to clean up a little." I smiled. "It's lovely. I wish I could live someplace like this. The castle is just so... Empty." He laughed.

"Well, you're welcome to join me if anything bad happens." I turned to him. "Really?" He smiled. "Of course. If Ira does anything, just come here. I'll give you one of the spare rooms." I giggled. "Thanks, Gula. I might just take you up on that." I grimaced.

"Ira's been pressuring me to tell him where you are. It's getting old fast. I might have to come here. He's determined to get his hands on that Lost page." He was silent, and looked at the floor. "I'm sorry he's been acting like that." I took his hand.

"It's okay. As long as you're safe, it doesn't matter." We stood there for a moment, and then He slipped his hand out of mine and walked up the stairs. "Come on." I went up after him. It was still light out, so I didn't have to head back yet. He walked into a large room. It had a very cluttered desk, and the walls were lined with books.

"This was my fathers study, so I thought I'd use it." I snickered. "You're studying in the study." He rolled his eyes. "Very cute, Ava. Yes, I am studying in the study." He sat down in a chair, and I sat down across from him. We talked for a long time. I didn't even realize the sun had set until I have a big yawn.

"Oh, I should be going. It's getting late." I stood up. "May I come back tomorrow?" He smiled. "I'd like that very much. Here, I'll walk you back to the square. You won't be able to find your way in the dark." "Ever the gentleman." He smirked. "I try." He walked me to the fountain. "I trust you can find your way back from here?"

"Yes. Thank you, Gula. Can you meet me here at noon?" He gave a slight nod. "I'll see you there. Goodnight." "Goodnight, Gula. I'll see you tomorrow." He turned, and walked away. I smiled to myself, and hurried towards the castle.

Ira was sitting in a chair, and reading his copy of the Book of Prophecies. He looked up. "Ava. You're home late." I looked at him. "Yes, Ira. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Where were you?" I turned and started to walk away. "I don't believe that it's any of your business where I did or didn't go." I said coldly. I walked up the stairs, and into my bedroom. My Chirithy was sitting on top of my bed. "What took you so long? I was waiting for hours!"I

"Sorry, Chirithy. I lost track of time. I found Gula, though. He's staying away for a little while. He doesn't want Ira to find him. But he's all right, and that's all that matters." I sighed happily, and fell backwards onto my bed, narrowly missing It. It looked at me strangely.

"What?" It giggled. "You've got it bad." I sat up, alarmed. "Got what!? What do I have!?" It shook It's head. "No, nothing like that. You like Gula." I blushed. "No! Th-that's not it!" It smiled. "If you say so." It disappeared. I sat quietly.

"Of course I like Gula. Why wouldn't I? He's Calm, Intelligent, and Kind. Why wouldn't I like him?" I sighed as I talked to myself. I stood up and went to take a bath. After I had gotten out, I ran into Invi in the hall. "Hello, Invi." She examined me. "You seem awfully happy. Why?"

I realized I was smiling. I quickly let it disappear. She slowly smiled. "How's Gula?" I blushed. "I- I don't know what you're talking about." I looked away. "Alright. Well, Goodnight, Ava." She smiled, and walked away. I went into My room. I laid down on my bed. I Thought about him, his hair, his eyes.

I sat up, and pulled off my mask. I walked over to the mirror. My pale pink hair was the color of cherry blossoms, and tumbled over my shoulders. It had darker pink at the tips. I looked at my lilac eyes. They were spattered with turquoise. I brushed my hair, and then lie back down. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep.

I woke up, and looked out the window. The early summer sun was shining through it. I sat up, and walked to my closet. I pulled out some of my old clothes, and set them down. I had a dark blue dress that came down to my calves, with long sleeves, a dark purple quarter sleeve and purple shorts, and a light pink dress that came halfway down my thighs.

It had short, gauzy sleeves, and the skirt was gathered at the waist, Ruffling it. It was hemmed with gold, and had a little turquoise belt. I smiled fondly. I used to wear it all the time. It was my favorite outfit. I decided on the pink dress. I put it on, and looked in the mirror.

"A little bit short... Nah. It's fine." I brushed my hair, and pulled on my cloak and mask. You couldn't tell I was wearing anything different. I walked down the stairs, and ate my breakfast. No one said a word to each other. I finished, and stood. As I walked towards the door, I grabbed my white bag, and left.

When I got far enough away from the castle, I ducked into an empty alleyway, and pulled off my cloak and mask. I folded the cloak and put it into my bag, and set the mask on top of them. I let the bag fall to my side, and tucked my hair behind my ear. I hadn't taken off my mask in a long time. I walked to the fountain, and sat down. Gula wasn't there yet.

I looked at the clock, and it read a quarter to Noon. He should be here soon, I thought. Soon, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned, and saw Gula standing there. "Hey. Nice dress." I blushed a little.

"Thanks. I feel a bit... Exposed. I don't usually take my mask off. I feel strange without it." He smiled. "I felt like that too. But then I got used to it. It's nice to be treated like a normal person." I smiled. "Would you like to walk around first?" He nodded. "Alright." We wandered around town, talking to each other. We got to the marketplace. I looked around at everything.

"I never really get to come here. I'm always so busy." He smiled. "Why don't we look around? We've got time." I looked at him. "You don't mind?" He shook his head. I laughed, and grabbed his wrist, pulling him with me as I ran to a nearby booth. For half an hour, I looked at the booths. Gula was laughing all the while.

As I was walking, something caught my eye. There was a man selling jewelry on the corner. I walked over, and looked for a moment. They were very nice, but one piece outshone them all. It was a pendant, a small silver cage studded with lilac crystals, and a deep blue pearl inside. It hung on a silver chain, and was shaped like a lotus blossom.

"It's beautiful." I tore my gaze away from it. "C'mon, let's go." He smiled. I walked over to a different booth, when he tapped my shoulder.

"Hey, I'll be right back, okay? Just be a minute." I was confused. "Um... Okay." He left, and I continued looking. He came back. "What was it?" He shrugged. "Nothing much. Just looking at something. Come on, let's go." He held out his hand, and I took it.

He pulled me through the crowded marketplace, and onto a side street. We walked to his house. When we got there, I noticed how dusty it was. There were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. "Come on let's..." He cut himself off with a huge yawn. I looked at him, and realized how tired he looked.

"Gula?" He turned to me. "Hmm?" I put a hand on his arm. "How much sleep did you get last night?" I asked, concerned. He pushed my hand off his shoulder. "m' fine, Ava. Let's just go." I stopped him. "You need sleep. Why don't you go take a nap?" He shook his head. "We have to work on the page."

"No." I told him firmly. "You stayed up late working on that Very same page, and now, you need to sleep." He nodded, obviously very tired. "You sure?" "Yes. Here, I'll walk you up." He told me which room was his. I opened the door, and helped him lie down. I pulled the blanket over him. "Ava?"

"Yes?" He gave a little smile. "Thanks." And then He was fast asleep. I smiled, and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled, and muttered something. I couldn't really make it out, though. He looked so Peaceful. Happy, even. I leaned in, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're welcome. Sweet dreams, Gula."

I whispered.

I stood and quietly walked out of the room. "I guess I don't really have anything to do." I glanced at the layer of dust that covered every surface.

"I'll clean up. This place is really dirty." I said. "Chirithy, can you come here? I need a little help." It appeared in a tiny plume of smoke.

"With what?" It looked around. "Oh. I see." For two hours, we worked to clean up the house, and did a very good job. Chirithy helped dust everything, and I swept and mopped all the floors. Soon, I could see my reflection in the freshly cleaned marble.

As I was cleaning, I found a small room in the top floor, near Gula's. It was painted white. It had an alcove, for reading, a small fireplace, and a little bookshelf against the wall. The bed had a silver frame. a birch wood closet was against the wall, intricately carved designs adorning it's doors.

It was such a lovely room, after I cleaned it, I looked around for a little while. I went back downstairs after I had finished cleaning The upper level.

The room looked brighter now, and the gray tint was gone. The rest of the house looked very similar. I sat down, and Chirithy crawled into my lap. It looked exhausted. I pet it gently.

"Thanks, Chirithy. I promise, when we get home, I'll give you some cookies as a reward." It's little ears perked up. "Really?" I nodded. It hugged me. "Thank you! I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll be back soon." I smiled, and gave It a little hug.

"I know. See you later." It made a little poof, and disappeared. I sat down for a bit, and went to go check on Gula. I opened the door. He was still fast asleep. I walked over, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Gula. Gula, wake up." He opened his eyes and sat up sleepily.

"Something wrong?" I shook my head. "I let you sleep for a couple hours. Do you feel better now?" He nodded. "I do, actually. Thank you." I smiled. "Come downstairs. I have a surprise for you." He looked at me suspiciously, but stood and followed me. His eyes widened as he looked around the room. "Did... Did you do this? For me?" I smiled.

"Uh-Huh. I wanted to help you. I cleaned everything else as well." He didn't say anything. Then, suddenly, he pulled me into a hug. I was surprised. "Thank you. It means a lot to me." He said. I put my arms around him, and hugged him back. He pulled away after a little bit. I noticed his cheeks were tinged pink. I looked at something near the window.

"You have a piano." He looked at me. "Yes. I do. My parents used to have a servant play it for them. Her name was Yvette, she was very kind. I asked if she could teach me to play, and she did. She was a very good teacher. She never shouted at me when I made a mistake, and always spoke kindly to me." He spoke of her fondly. I could tell he had cared about her.

"Can you still play?" I asked. "Yes. You never really forget that sort of thing. Your hands always remember how." I smiled. He took a seat on the piano bench. He went to start playing, and he stopped. He looked at me. "Come here." I stared at him.

"What?" He scooted over, making room for me. I slid in next to him, uncertain. "Put out your hands." I did. He put his hands over mine, and played a few keys, listing them. "What are you doing?" He smiled. "Would you like to learn how?" I gave a little laugh, and smiled at him.

"Yes. I would." He continued listing the keys, and taught me some basic songs. He taught me an easier way to remember which keys were which, and how to read music. Soon, it was getting dark. I looked outside, and sighed sadly. I didn't want to leave. Gula must have seen the sad look on my face.

"It's alright. You can come back tomorrow, if you like." I smiled warmly. "I'd love that, Gula." I was quiet for a moment. "Will you teach me more?" He nodded.

"Of course. We can do lessons as well as the page." The page. I had forgotten about it.

"As much as I really want to stay, I think I have to head home now. Same time tomorrow?" He nodded again.

"Absolutely. I'll walk you back." I smiled, and grabbed my bag. We walked towards the fountain, and hid behind a wall to put my cloak on. I pulled on my mask. "Goodnight, Gula. I'll see you in the morning." He nodded. I turned to walk away, and he grabbed my hand gently.

"Ava?" I looked at him. Then, fast as lightning, he leaned forward and kissed my cheek. He pulled away just as quickly. "Goodnight." Then he was gone. I stood there for a moment, stunned at what just happened. I put a hand to where his lips had been just a moment ago.

"He kissed me." I whispered. I walked back to the castle in the setting sun. I walked in the door, and Ira was standing there. He didn't look happy. "Ava, I'm only going to ask this once. Where were you?" I tried to get past him, but he blocked me.

"Were you with Gula?" I shook my head. "No. I was training my wielders." He narrowed his eyes. "I know you were with him. You're a terrible liar. Where is he?" I glared at him.

"Why in the world would I tell you that?" He frowned deeply. "Fine." He walked away. I went upstairs. I walked into my room, and didn't even bathe. I just laid down and dreamed.

The next morning, I quickly out on a light purple dress. It came down to my knees, and was sleeveless. It had a light pink sash at the waist. I pulled my cloak on, ate my food, and hurried to the square, where I saw him waiting. "Hi, Ava." I smiled. "Hello, Gula." We started walking to his house.

When we got there, we went into the study and discussed the page. "It talks about a sigil, right?" He nodded. "Then why don't you figure out what sigil it is? It could be something simple, like a letter in someone's name."

"I hadn't thought of that. That's genius!" He pulled a large, book off the shelf, and started looking through it. I walked over, and leaned closer to the book. "What's that?" "It's a book of symbols. Hey, we've been doing this for a couple hours. You wanna take a break?" I giggled.

"Sure." We walked downstairs. "You wanna play some piano?" I nodded. "Yeah, okay." I sat down next to him, and he put his hands over mine, and started playing. I knew the song that he was playing, and started humming along. He noticed, and stopped.

"You have a lovely voice." I blushed a little. "Thank you." He smiled. "Do you know any songs? On the piano?" I looked down. "I know one. I'm not very good at it." "Show me." I played it slowly and nervously. I hadn't played it in years. I had almost forgotten it. When I was done, he looked deep in thought.

"That was very good. You could use a little improvement, but otherwise, you did just fine." I smiled, and then thought about Ira. It faltered. "What's wrong?" I looked away. "Ira is getting more irritated with each passing day. I don't know what to do." He thought for a moment.

"Well, like I said, you could always come live here, with me." I smiled. "I'd love to. But I have to Finish my role. But I promise, if things get bad, I'll definitely come." He smiled. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes please." He went into the kitchen, and then came out a few minutes later with a few sandwiches on a plate. He set it down, and we both ate them. After we were done, we played more piano. The sun was setting, and my heart sank. I didn't want to leave. This place... It felt like home. He turned to me. "It's getting late." He stood up, but I stayed sitting down. "Is something wrong, Ava?"

"Part of me doesn't want to leave, but I know I have to." He sat back down next to me, closer than before. "It's Alright, Ava. You'll come back. Come on, let's go." We walked back, and said goodnight. When I got back, Ira looked very frustrated, no doubt because of me. I hurried up the stairs. I quickly got clean, and went to my room. I went to sleep, dreaming peacefully.

I woke up to a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it. It was Invi. "Ira sent me to wake you for breakfast." I was immediately alarmed. "Yes, I'll be right down." I said, calmly. I shut the door. What was he planning?

I got dressed quickly. I was wearing a white dress with a ruffled skirt that fell halfway down my thighs, and had a pale purple petticoat. It had long, flowing sleeves, and a low neckline, along with a lilac bow that was tied at my waist. I pulled on my cloak over it, as always. I went downstairs, and sat at the table. I ate, and Ira was silent the entire time. After I was done, I stood, and left.

I hid, taking my Cloak and Mask off as I always did. I met Gula at the fountain. "You look unsettled. Did Ira do something?" He asked. "Yes. He was acting more different than usual. He was... Quiet. Like he was plotting something." Gula looked irritated.

"I don't know. We'll have to keep our eyes open." He stood up, and took my hand. We walked a few steps, but before we got very far, I turned and saw a figure walking away from the castle.

Ira.

I grabbed Gula's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Don't panic. I think Ira is trying to find us." He looked straight ahead. "He's going to know it's us from the way We're acting. What should we do?" I thought for a moment. Ira was wandering around the square. I put a bright smile into my face.

"Act happy, like you don't have a care in the world." I pulled him along. "Come on, let's go! It's almost time to meet the master for training!" I said. He pouted. "Do we have to, Eliah?" I saw where he was going. I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Marcus. We have to finish our training." He sighed, slumping his shoulders.

"I'd much rather take a nap." He let out a huge, exaggerated yawn. I giggled. "You're always napping, Marcus! Come on you lazy bum, we're gonna be late!" I grabbed him, and walked right past Ira. He didn't even bat an eye at us. I pulled Gula to the other side of the courtyard, and slipped onto a side street.

My smile was replaced by a look of relief. Gula looked at me. "That was amazing. You're a genius!" I giggled.

"Thanks. We can get to your house from here, right?" He nodded, and led me away from the courtyard. We got to the house, and went inside. I breathed out, knowing we were safe now. Gula flopped into a chair. I sat in the one across from him. He looked at me.

"Marcus? THAT'S the first name that comes to your mind!? Couldn't you have picked something better?" I face palmed.

"It was all I could come up with on such short notice! If I said the first thing that came to my mind, you name would be, 'Oh my gosh, it's Ira! please don't recognize me!'. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have worked. Besides, it's not such a bad name. I don't see what all the fuss is about." He scrunched up his nose.

"Yeah, but you look like your name actually could be Eliah. I don't look like a Marcus." I squinted at him.

"Nah, I think you could be a Marcus." He groaned. "I don't wanna be Marcus!" I laughed. "Well, too bad. Now you're stuck with it." He let out a sigh of defeat.

"So, whenever we're in public, just to be safe, we need to call each other Eliah and Marcus." He frowned. I walked over, and sat next to him. It was a small chair, so we were kind of squished.

"If you don't like Marcus, we can pick something else. I just thought it had a nice ring to it. Eliah and Marcus." He looked up. "I like Ava and Gula better." I smiled. "We can go by that when we're alone." He nodded. "Okay."

He stood up. "Let's play piano." I followed him over. We played for a little bit, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to me.

"Hmm?" I giggled. "What are you thinking about? You keep just staring into nothingness." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I was drifting. I was just thinking about the parties my parents used to have. There would be music, and drinks, and dancing. They would invite all of the adults, and sometimes they would bring their children." He smiled at the memory. I pulled him up.

"What are you doing?" I smiled, and Curtsied gracefully. "Would you like to dance, Sir?" A smile bloomed in his face. He gave a deep bow. "Anything for you, Milady." I giggled, and took his hand. He rested his other hand on my waist, and I placed my own on his shoulder.

I started humming a Waltz, and We danced around the room. He picked me up by my waist, and lifted me into the air, twirling me around for a moment. I laughed. Soon, we flopped down on the sofa, giggling madly. "That was fun. You're a good dancer." He shrugged.

"I had practice. That's all." We talked for a while, and then went and worked on the page. We narrowed it down to a few different Sigils, and soon, it was time for me to leave. I walked in the castle doors, and for once, I wasn't cornered by Ira. Invi said he was in his room, studying. I went to bed, not wanting to be up when he came out.

The next morning, Ira and I had a fight. He shouted at me, and I shouted back. "I'm not going to tell you where he is, Ira! So you might as well just give up!" He was glaring at me.I

"I need that page, and I will do whatever I have to to get it!" He said, angrily. "Even hurt Gula?" I shot back. "If that is what it comes to, yes!"

"Would you hurt me!?" I shouted, anger bubbling up inside of me. "If I have to, I will!" He said. I slapped him, hard. He looked shocked. I turned on my heel, and walked into my room. I gathered all of my normal clothing into a bag, and left the castle. I saw Gula standing by the fountain, like he normally did. He saw me, and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Ava, what happened?" I stared at the ground. "I'm not going back, Gula. I can't." He looked puzzled. "Why?" I looked away from him. "I'll tell you later. Let's just go." He didn't ask anything else, and we walked to his home. We sat down.

"What happened?" I sighed. "Ira and I got into a fight. He said... He said that if he had to, he would hurt you to get the page. And me."

"Then what did you do?" He asked quietly. "I slapped him." Gula looked up. "Really?" I nodded. "Then I got all of my normal clothing, and left." My Chirithy appeared next to me.

"Why did you do that!? Now he's really mad!" I massaged the bridge of my nose. "Chirithy, I don't care."

"But you should!" I shook my head. "No. He had it coming." Gula nodded. "Absolutely. I wish I could have seen it." I looked at him. "Why? I just slapped him." He grinned. "Exactly. What did he look like?"

"Kinda like this." I tried to make the face he had, and Gula laughed. "Now I really wish I could have been there!" I shook my head. "You're ridiculous. Anyway, I'm now homeless, and I have no idea what to do." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously? I told you that you could just come here." I smiled widely.

"Really?" He nodded. "Obviously. Besides, living alone is no fun. It'll be nice." I ran over, and threw my arms around him. "Thanks, Gula!" He smiled, and hugged me back. I stepped back.

"I'm scared. I don't know what Ira is going to do now that I'm gone." He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll keep you safe, I promise. Now, do you wanna pick out your room?" I nodded. We looked around. I walked over to the room I found while cleaning. "How about this one?" He smiled. "Sure. If you need anything, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Gula." He left. I sat down on the bed. The room needed a little work, but otherwise, it was perfect. I put all of my things in the drawers, and then went downstairs. Gula had made a fire, and was sitting in front of it. I plopped down next to him.

"So... Guess we're gonna be living together, huh?" He smirked. "I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Do you?" I shook my head. "No. I think it's good. We can have... I don't know. A normal life, even if it's just for a little while." He smiled.

"A normal life. Okay." I scooted closer, and leaned on his shoulder. After a bit, I sat up. "I need to by some blankets and a pillow for the bed." He stood up. "Alright. Lets go." We went to the marketplace.

I wandered around, until I found a pillow, and a pale pink case to go with it. As I was walking, I saw a woman selling blankets, and stopped to look. "Why, hello, my dear. Are you interested in buying a quilt?"

"I don't know yet. What patterns do you have?" She pointed to a few different blankets. They were pretty, but I didn't really want to buy any of them. Then a light pink quilt caught my eye. It was light pink, with white dandelions being carried away by the wind. It was lovely.

"I'll take this one, please." She smiled, and handed it to me. I paid her, and Gula and I walked away. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I need some curtains. That shouldn't be too hard. And I need some paint." He looked at me questioningly. "Why do you need paint?" I giggled. "To paint the walls, of course. They're just so... White." He rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Come with me." He pulled me over to a vendor. They were selling a many different colors. I picked light pink, and a pale purple color. I bought them, and then we headed home. Gula helped me put some cloths over everything, so we wouldn't get paint on them.

We painted the entire room pale pink, and once that was dry, I painted large, lilac swirls everywhere. Once I was done, I fell backwards onto the bed. Gula flopped next to me. "Ugh... That was exhausting. But, the room looks nice. Good color choice." I smiled.

"Thanks for helping me. Y'know, I'm glad I'm gonna live here. It'll be fun." He smiled. "Yeah. I won't have to live alone." I smacked his arm playfully. "That's not what I meant." He grinned. "I know." He looked at me. "Are you blushing?" Oh no. I was.

"No. It's just the walls." He smirked. "Really? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you're blushing." I blushed more. "N-no! I'm not!" He smiled again. "Well, if you say so. I think the paint is dry, so we can put everything back now." I got up, and pulled him with me. We put everything back.

Gula hung my lilac curtains while I put the blanket on the bed. I tucked it carefully, just the way I liked it, and fluffed the pillow. I took a step back, and admired my room. I was very proud of how it turned out. Gula stood next to me. "Very pretty. You did a good job."

"No, WE did a good job." He laughed. "Alright, we did a good job. Hey, let's go. I'm getting hungry." I smiled. "I'm gonna make a cake. We should celebrate for no particular reason, just cause we can." He chuckled. "I've never made a cake before." I grabbed him, and pulled him out of the room.

"Well, there's no time like the present!" I looked around the kitchen. "Do you have a cookbook?" He nodded, and walked to a cabinet. He pulled out a large, thick book. I took it, and flipped through it. "Wait, what Cake do you want?" He shrugged. "I'm fine with whatever."

"Yes, but do you have a preference? Like, Vanilla or Chocolate?" He smiled mischievously. "Double Chocolate Fudge." I smiled. "Well, I can manage that. But you have to help." He nodded. "Of course." I sent him to fetch ingredients, and I mixed the wet ingredients while he mixed the dry.

Somehow, he managed to get flour all over his face. I laughed, and took the bowl from him. I grabbed a towel, and wiped his face. I giggled. "How did you get so messy? You were supposed to stir the flour, not inhale it!" He put on a fake look of shame.

"I'm sorry, it just looked so delicious!" I laughed. "Silly. Come on, let's finish. Try to stir it slowly this time." He did. I combined the ingredients in a large bowl, and mixed it together. He greased the pans, and I filled them with the batter.

We had three whole tins, ready to be baked. I preheated the oven, and then put them in. "This cake is gonna be majestic. Come on, we should make the icing."

"Wait, we're gonna make ICING!? I thought you were just gonna make the cake!" I giggled. "No. WE made the Cake, and WE'RE going to make icing. Chocolate icing. Now Come on!"

We worked together, and soon the icing was done. It was thick, creamy, and sweet. We let the Cake cool, and spread a layer of Chocolate frosting around the outside. I put some frosting into a piping bag.

I had spent five minutes customizing the tip, to make a flower shape when it came out. I put little flowers in a perfect circle on top of the Cake, and around the base too. Gula watched as I did this. "Pretty. We did a Good job." He said, nodding in approval. I set the bag down. We looked at the Cake, and then each other.

"Should we eat it now?" He asked. "Definitely." I got a knife, and cut two slices. We ate the cake. "That was delicious." He nodded. I put a cover over the leftover Cake. "We should save the rest for tomorrow. It's getting late." A smile crossed his face. "Well, this time, I don't have to walk you to the fountain."

"No, I suppose not. We should go to bed soon, though." He nodded. "Yeah. When do you have to train your wielders?"

"Tomorrow, actually. I would invite you, but I don't want Ira to find you." He thought for a moment. "But... If it's just another wielder, there's no problem." I shook my head.

"No, Gula. Once you summon your Keyblade, everyone will know it's you." He looked at me. "Then I won't summon it."

"No, Gula. You can't. I don't want to take any risks." I said, staring at the ground. He put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up. "It'll be fine. Besides, I can't stay cooped up here forever." I sighed.

"Alright." We sat on the couch. The fire was still going, fueled by magic. I was calmed by it. "I should probably go take a bath." I said. He nodded. "Okay. Just let me know when you're done." I stood up, and went and got my nightgown.

I walked into the bathroom, and ran the water. I quickly got clean and got out. "Gula, I'm done." He smiled. "Thanks." He went into the bathroom. I walked into my room, and turned on the light.

It was small, illuminating the room with a soft, fluorescent glow. I could still see everything very clearly, though. It wasn't too dark, but wasn't too bright, either. I sat down on the bed. I'm going to live here, I thought. With Gula. I felt happy, and relaxed. My Chirithy poofed into existence next to me.

"Are you really going to stay here? With Gula?" I blushed at the mention of him. "Yes. With Gula. And I'm going to be happy." It smiled.

"Alright." It climbed onto me. I pet It gently, making It sigh happily. I pulled aside the covers, and climbed into bed. As I was drifting off, I heard my door open.

"Ava?" It was Gula. "Yes?" He smiled nervously. "Um... Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow." I looked at him. "Goodnight, Gula." He left and closed the door. I laid down, still smiling, and fell asleep.

Knock knock.

Knock.

Knock knock knock.

That's what I woke up to. I sat up. "Who is it?" I said, sleepily. Gula looked his head in. "Who else?" I smiled, eyes heavy with sleep. He walked over and sat down. "Come on, it's Ten already. I made Eggs. And also Bacon." I giggled. I pulled aside the covers, and stood up. "I'm coming. I just have to get dressed."

"Okay. See you in a bit." He stood, and walked out. I pulled an outfit out of my closet. It was an Olive Green Jacket, a Tan T-shirt, and Brown capris. I pulled them on, and walked over to my mirror. Cute.

I brushed my hair into a low ponytail, and tied it with a Green hair tie. I put a small Brown bow in my hair, on the back of my head. I spun around. Again, Cute.

I pulled in some Tan, Greek style sandals, and walked into the kitchen, where Gula was sitting, eating his Eggs. He looked at me, and grinned. "You look great." I smiled, and sat down across from him. "Thanks."

He pushed a plate towards me. Eggs and Bacon. My favorite breakfast. Well, apart from pancakes. It was a tie. I ate it, and then washed the breakfast dishes. "So, when do you have to go?" I looked at the clock.

"A couple hours. We can talk until I have to leave, or, I was thinking about painting the designs on my wardrobe. But we could do both at the same time." He chuckled. "Let's." We went into my room, and talked while I painted the wardrobe. Soon, it was time to leave.

I pulled on my cloak and mask, and we went to the square. All of my wielders were waiting, chatting with each other. "Hello, everyone! I'm looking forward to training today! Has anyone learned something new in the time we've been away?" Most of the wielders held up their hands.

"Wonderful! Today, we're just going to have a practice session, Okay? You can teach each other, and become better acquainted with your fellow trainees. Alright? I'm going to watch, and intervene if anything bad happens." Everyone divided into pairs, and got started.

After a few hours, I dismissed Everyone. "You've all made a lot of progress, and learned so many new things! I am very proud of you all! In the meantime, keep practicing, and work on your weak points, okay? Until next time!" Everyone left, and We headed home. I was exhausted.

I took a hot bath, and then collapsed face first onto the sofa. This earned a hearty laugh from Gula. My face was covered by a pillow. "It's not funny." I said, muffled. He sat next to me.

"Are you really that tired? You didn't do that much." I lifted my head up to speak. "Physically, no. Emotionally, yes. I did a lot." He smiled, and then walked into the kitchen.

He came back out holding two plates. They each had a slice of Cake. I giggled, and he handed me one. "Hey, Gula. Your birthday is in a few weeks, right?" He nodded.

"Yup. My nineteenth birthday. Which reminds me... I'm still older than you." I groaned. "It's four months, Gula! It's not that big of a difference!" He smirked. "Still older. So, why are you asking?"

"I was just checking." I said. "Well, you can't forget my gift now, can you?" I smiled. "Of course not. I'm going to find one tomorrow, which means that you can't come with when I go to the market. You don't want to ruin the surprise, do you?" He pouted. "Fine." I laughed.

"We should head to bed. Come on." We said Goodnight, and went into our rooms. My Chirithy was fast asleep on the bed. I smiled, and picked It up gently. I laid down, and set It next to me. I soon fell asleep.

The events of the next two weeks were a blur. Gula's birthday was in four days. I had found his gift already, of course, and wrapped it. It was a deluxe pencil set, and extra large sketchbook.

During the time we spent in his study, I had noticed he liked to draw. I wrapped them in gold paper, and a silver bow. He looked at them. "When can I open it?" I held them away from him.

"Your birthday. So, four days from now." His shoulders slumped and he pouted. "Don't you give me that look. That's how birthdays work." He sighed. "I know." I set his gifts down on top of the fireplace, and then sat down, and cuddled up next to him. During the past few weeks, we had become more comfortable with each other.

He smiled, and put his arms around me. I was a very physical person, and he knew this. The fire was cozy, and warm. Gula leaned his head on mine. We sat there, enjoying the quiet noise of the fire. We went to bed after a while.

Gula's birthday came. I made him cupcakes, and gave him his present. When he saw it, his face was illuminated with Joy. "Thanks, Ava! This is great!" I was happy.

"I saw a few drawings around your room. They were really nice." He smiled, and hugged me. "Thank you." I hugged him back. Little did I know that it would be the last moment of peace I had for a while.

Ira was looking for us, anywhere and everywhere. We couldn't leave very often, and when we did, we had to be extremely careful not to get caught. I didn't like being hunted. And I could tell Gula didn't either.

The next few months passed, and Ira was still searching. I had told my wielders not to speak of the meetings to anyone, and because of Ira, the meetings would become less frequent. I told them that even if they couldn't train with me, to continue training with each other.

They accepted this, and were very understanding. My birthday was rapidly approaching, but I hadn't mentioned it to him. We had more important things to worry about. My feelings for him had increased greatly, and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell him. Not with Ira constantly breathing down our necks.

We had gone out to by food, and saw Ira in the marketplace. We quickly bought the things we needed, and hurried home. Things were very tense nowadays. Gula refused to make eye contact with me, and never hugged me anymore. He acted very distant.

This hurt me more than he would ever know, and I felt as if my heart was being splintered into a thousand little shards, unable to ever be reassembled. I put away the groceries, and saw him on the couch.

I sat down next to him. "Are you all right?" He didn't answer, and stared at the fireplace silently. I stood up. "If you need to talk, just let me know." I went up to my room, and laid on my bed. My Chirithy was asleep next to me.

My birthday was tomorrow. My nineteenth birthday. September Twenty-first. And Gula didn't remember. This stung a bit, but I couldn't blame him. Not with everything that had been happening. But I couldn't help feeling a just little hurt. I took a bath, put on my nightgown, and then went downstairs. I sat by the fireplace, trying to warm the cold, sad feeling that had settled over my heart.

The next morning, I woke to the autumn sunlight streaming through my window. I laid there, staring at my ceiling. I didn't get out of bed. I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in." I said flatly. Gula opened the door, and walked over. He sat on the edge of my bed. "What's wrong?" I didn't look at him. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong." He frowned. "Yes, there is. You never act like this."

"Like what." He looked frustrated. "This! You're always happy! But now, you're acting like you're depressed! What happened?" I stared up. "Nothing." He frowned angrily. "Stop doing that!" I said nothing. "I'll be down in a bit. I have to get dressed." He stood, still looking very angry, and left the room.

I walked over to my wardrobe, and pulled out a Purple dress, with a Lilac petticoat, and a Black sash at the waist. It was hemmed with Black on all edges, and has long sleeves. I pulled my hair into a Braid, and put a Purple rose in it. I pulled on a pair of Black boots.

I walked downstairs and sat at the table. Gula had made Grilled cheese. I ate the plate he had placed at my spot. He was sitting on the sofa, staring at the fire, seething. I sighed. I walked over, and sat down next to him. He didn't look at me.

"I'm sorry for acting like that." He sat still for a moment, and said nothing. "I've tried to stay happy, but it's just so hard." He turned to me. His face had softened. "No. I'm sorry. If I had just given him the page, none of this would have happened. I'm the one who should be sorry."

I looked at him. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he had a scowl on his lips. I shook my head. "You're right. If you had, none of the bad things would have happened. But none of the good things would have happened either." He smiled slightly.

"See, there's the Ava I know." He looked at me, and smiled. "I have something for you." I stared at him. "What?" He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a little blue velvet bag. "Go on. Open it." I took it from him, and emptied the contents into my palm. I gave a small gasp.

It was the necklace. The one from the marketplace. The Lotus shaped cage, studded with lilac crystals, and a dark blue pearl inside. He had bought it. "But... But..." He laughed. "Did you think I forgot about your birthday?" I was still staring at it. "How long have you had this?" I asked. "Not too long." "How long is that?" He looked away. Was he... Blushing?

"Um... Since we went to the market... the first time." I lowered my hand. "You've had it that long? Why did you wait? Why not give it to me then?" He was definitely blushing now. "I... Wanted to. But... I was nervous." I was surprised. "YOU were nervous!? Why?" He was quiet.

He took the necklace from my palm, and pulled me up. He walked behind me, and fastened it around my neck. "I... Have another present." I turned to face him. "What is it?" He blushed again.

He put a hand on my face, and moved forward, pressing his lips to mine. He stood there for a second, and then pulled away. "I Love you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What?"

"I...I Love you. I have since before you came here." My heart beat out of my chest. He looked at me, nervously wringing his hands. "But, I-If you don't feel that way, it's fine. I won't-" I threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him, hard.

He locked his arms around my waist, and held me tightly. It was amazing. All the pent up feelings I had for him, locking them away, I poured into that one kiss. We broke apart. "I love you too. I always have. That won't ever change." He smiled, and kissed me again. And it was the sweetest kiss of all.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

"It's okay, Ava. I'm right here." I was throwing up in the sink, and Gula was holding my hair back. I had woken up that morning feeling sick to my stomach. He rubbed my back. "It's alright. I'm gonna stay with you." I looked at him. "You did this to me! It's your fault!" He chuckled.

"I'm sorry." I laughed a little. "It'll all be worth it, as long as I'm with you." He smiled. "Right. As long as we're together." I threw up some more. After a bit, I stopped. "Are you Okay?" I nodded. He put an arm around me, and we sat down on the couch. I put a hand to my stomach. There wasn't even a bump yet. Gula put his hand over mine, and have it a squeeze.

"I'm scared, Gula." He looked at me, ready to listen. "Why?" I sighed. "Ira is still looking for us. I don't want to raise our child in the midst of that." He smiled reassuringly.

"It'll all be okay. I promise. Maybe we can talk to Ira. If I have to, I'll just give him the page. Then he'll leave us alone." I nodded, uncertain. He gave me a glass of water, and I took a sip. "Maybe we should give him the page."

"I will, if you want me to." I thought for a moment. "We should have Invi give it to him." He nodded. "I'll find her, and-" I cut him off. "No. I'll do it. No offense, But Invi's always liked me better." He laughed.

"None taken. It's true. When do you want to?" I squeezed his hand. "I'll go later today. I can have a wielder tell her to meet me in the square." He shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure I can't at least come with? Or watch? What if Invi tries something?" I shook my head. "I don't think she will. But if it makes you feel better, you can hide and watch." He gave a satisfied nod.

He put his arms around me, and I cuddled up to him. He wrapped a blanket around the both of us, and we sat there, quietly watching the fire. He put a hand to my stomach. I looked up, and saw a small smile playing across his lips. "I Love you. And the Baby." I smiled at him, and kissed his cheek.

"I Love you too." A look of puzzlement crossed his face. "Wait, what are we gonna name it?" I sat up. "Y'know, I hadn't really thought about that. We should pick a name." He thought for a moment. Then a smile broke out across his features.

"Luna, if it's a Girl. Or Phoebe." I smiled. "I don't know. I like both of them. If it's a Boy, we could name it Zephyr, or Helios." He shook his head. "We're never going to decide." I giggled. "Nope. I guess it just depends on what the baby looks like when it's born." He nodded. "Agreed." I stood up.

"I'll ask Ephemera to get Invi, everyone likes him. I'm sure that he'd help me." Gula nodded. "I'll get your mask." We barely ever wore them, but we had kept our robes and masks, just in case. He brought it over, along with my cloak. I put them on, and had to readjust to seeing everything through the tinted gold eyes.I

"I hate not being able to see your face." He grumbled. "But it's still the same me underneath it all. I promise." He smiled, and gave me a kiss. "I know. Come on, let's go." I found Ephemer. He was talking to Skuld. "Ephemer!" He turned to me.

"Oh, master Ava! I haven't seen you for a while. Where have you been?" I smiled. "Oh, you know. Just around. Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." He grinned. "Of course! What is it?"

"I was wondering if you could ask Invi if she could meet me in the square. Oh, uh, but don't tell her it's me." He smiled brightly. "Sure! Be back in a sec!" He ran towards the castle. Skuld turned to me. "I better get going. Tell Ephemer I'll be at the park." I smiled, and nodded.

"Sure. I can do that. Bye, Skuld!" She ran off, waving as she did so. "Bye, Master Ava!" Ephemer came back. "Okay, she's coming. She said she'd be here in half an hour."

"Okay. Thank you, Ephemer. Oh, Skuld said she'd wait for you at the park." He smiled. "Thanks, Master! See you later!" He ran in the direction Skuld did. I sat down at the fountain and waited patiently. Soon, I saw Invi walking towards me. She saw me, and her eyes widened. "Ava! What are you doing here!? Where have you been!?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that last one. But the reason I'm here is to talk to you." She nodded slowly, and sat down next to me. "I'm here because I need you to give something to Ira." She looked at me cautiously. "Why can't you do it yourself?" I sighed.

"Because I really don't want to see Ira. A lot has happened, and I think we need to talk another time." She nodded. "But... Then you and Gula can come back, right?" I stared at the ground. "What's wrong?" I shook my head. "I'm not coming back, Invi."

"Why not?" I put a hand to the bridge of my nose. "I'm married, Invi." She was shocked. "What!? To who!?" Her face stilled with silent recognition. "Gula?" She asked quietly. I nodded. "Yes. We decided to hand over the page because of something that came up. We just want to be left alone." She looked at my stomach.

"Are... Are you...?" I smiled. "Yes." She went silent, and then hugged me. "Congratulations. I'll give the page to Ira, and tell him to stop. I promise." She pulled away. There were tears in her eyes. "Invi, if you like, you can come visit us. We're not too far from the castle." She nodded, and wiped her eyes.

"I'd love that. Thank you." I looked her in the eye. "Thank you for doing this. It means a lot. Would you like to come over for lunch tomorrow? We can catch up." She nodded. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Where do you live?"

"I'll meet you here, by the fountain. Then I can show you where it is. Is One o'clock alright?" She smiled. "Yes. I'll see you tomorrow." She stood up, hugged !e one last time, and headed towards the castle. I walked to where Gula was leaning up against the wall.

"Let's go." I slipped my hand in his, and we walked home. We sat on the couch for a while, and then headed to bed. I had moved into his room, but left my room the way it was. We climbed into bed. "Gula?" He rolled over to face me. "What?"

"What if we're not good parents?" He put his arms around me. "We're gonna be fine, I promise. If we raise them to be just like you, I call that an unqualified success." I giggled. "Or like you." He smiled, and kissed me. "See, We'll do great." He held me, and we soon fell asleep.

The next day, I met Invi at the fountain. I had decided to dress normally, and told Gula to as well. "Hi, Invi." She gave a curt nod. "Hello, Ava." I led her down a side street. When we got to the house, she stopped outside.

"You've been here all along?" I smiled. "Yes. It was Gula's family's home. It's his now." She nodded.

"I know. I don't know why we didn't think to check here." I led her inside, where Gula was sitting by the fireplace. I motioned for her to take a seat, and sat down next to Gula. "Invi. It's been a while." She turned to him. "Yes. It has. So, how have you been doing?"

"We've been doing just fine. As you already know, we're Married." She gave a small smile. "When is the Baby coming?" I smiled, and put a hand to my stomach. "I don't know. I'm not very far in. Maybe a month, at most." She nodded. "Do you think it's going to be a Boy, or Girl?"

"It doesn't really matter to us, As long as the Baby is healthy." She smiled. "If you ever need any help, just ask."

"Alright. Would you like something to eat?" She nodded. "Yes, thank you." We are lunch, and talked about everything that had happened. The sun started to set. "I should be going. It's getting late, and I have work to do. This was very nice."

"Can you find your way back on your own?" She nodded. "Yes. Thank you. I'll see you another time. Goodbye, Ava, Gula." I closed the door behind her, and waved before I did. I sat down, and leaned on Gula. I took his hand, and rested it on my stomach, mine over his.

"Parents. We'll be Parents." He kissed my forehead, and ran his fingers through my hair gently. "Yes. You'll do an amazing job, and so will I. We both will. So, Are Ephemer and Skuld a thing?" I laughed. "They should be. They're adorable together." He smiled. "They will be soon, probably." I nodded. We snuggled, and soon fell asleep in each other's arms.

SIX MONTHS LATER

"The Baby is getting so big. I look like I have a watermelon stuffed up my shirt." I said. He laughed. "Yes, but that just means that it's healthy."

"I know. The time is getting closer." We were sitting on the couch. I had my hand on my stomach, as did Gula. I was getting very big. "Gula, I love you. We're going to be great parents." He smiled nervously. "Y-Yeah, sure. Absolutely." I looked at him. "Gula, are you nervous?" He shook his head. "No. I, um, don't, uh... Yes. I'm nervous." I smiled. "It's okay." He nodded. "I know. I know, it's just... I've never done this before. What if I screw up?" I kissed him. "Then we'll screw up together, alright?" He smiled. "Yeah. Okay."

TWO MONTHS LATER

I was laying in the bed, and Gula rushed in. "Is the Baby okay?" I nodded, exhausted. "Yes. Come over here." He walked to my side. I held the bundle open so he could see. "Say hello to your papa, Zephyr. He's been waiting to see you." Gula looked at the Baby, and a wide grin crossed his face.

Zephyr was looking around with his wide, lilac eyes. He had a little tuft of silver hair. I handed him to Gula, who took him ever so carefully from my arms. Zephyr curled his little hand around Gula's finger. Gula smiled at this.

"Hello. I'm your papa. And I love you more than all the other people in the whole wide world." As he said this, he rubbed their noses together, making the Baby boy giggle with delight. "Except your mother. Sorry. But I'll always love you too, I promise." I watched him talk to the Baby. Our Baby.

I was filled with happiness. He handed the Baby back to me, and I kissed Zephyr on the cheek. "I love you too, Zephyr. We both do." We sat there for a while, looking at the precious child that I had carried for Nine long, drawn out months. It was possibly the happiest I had ever felt in my entire life.

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

"Mom, have you seen my gloves? I can't find them anywhere." I looked up, and saw my Pink haired, Purple eyed son. He was wearing Dark Purple capris, a light blue T-shirt, Black boots, and a Blue cap. A Light Purple jacket covered his arms. "No, Zephyr, I'm afraid not. Why don't you ask Phoebus and Luna?" He nodded, and stalled off, muttering something about trouble. Gula sat down next to me.

"Well, I definitely think we did a good job, don't you think?" I smiled. "Yes. Gula?" He looked at me. "What?" I smirked. "Do you know WHY Zephyr was looking for his gloves?" He shook his head. "Why?"

"He's meeting someone. A girl." His eyes widened. "What!? Who is she!?" I laughed. "I'm sure he'll tell us. What, you gonna stop him from dating?" He had a solemn look across his features. "No dating till I'm in the ground, and can't protest anymore." I laughed.

"But by then, I would probably be in the ground too, and I wanna see my grandkids." I kissed him. "At least the twins aren't dating yet." He grimaced. "Only a matter of time, my dear. Only a matter of time."

Just then, said children ran into the room. "Disguise yourself, Fool!" Luna whisper shouted, as she slipped into the cupboard Expertly, making not a single sound. Phoebus had a black cloak on, and blended into the shadows, pulling it over himself, as still and lifeless as a statue.

Zephyr stormed into the room. "Where are they!?" I looked at Gula. "Why?" He glared at us. "They took my gloves and hid them! I need them back!" Gula shrugged. "Well, they're not in here. They ran that way, though." He walked in the direction Gula was pointing.

As soon as he was gone, I stood up, and opened the cabinet. Luna was giggling silently, not making a single noise. I offered my hand. She took it and stepped out of the cupboard. "Thanks, Mom. Dad." Phoebus left his hiding place as well.

"Yeah, Thanks, Dad. Ya did good, for an old guy." He smiled. "I'm not old yet. I can still have a little fun." Luna had long, Silver hair, pulled back into a braid, and the Lilac eyes I called my own.

She was wearing a Dark Blue dress that came up to her thighs, with Stars all over it, and a Shimmery Gossamer Sash. It had Long, flowing sleeves tailored of the same material. She was wearing Black ankle boots, along with Star Patterned Socks.

She was desperately trying to Hold in laughter. I folded my arms, and held out one hand. "The gloves, Luna." She pouted, and handed me Zephyr's gloves. "Well, you're no fun." I smirked. "Oh, you're wrong. You just haven't noticed how awesome I am. And either way, it's still not alright to steal Zephyr's things."

Phoebus pulled off his cloak. He was wearing a White quarter sleeve shirt, Brown capris, and a Loose Gold vest with a Sun Emblem holding it closed. His Wheat blond hair was messy, and had a golden sheen to it, and His Honey colored eyes sparkled with mischief.

"But Mom, We were just sabotaging him. Nothing serious." His voice was laced with the slightest trace of sarcasm. I rolled my eyes. "You two do this a lot. Can't you take a break for a while?" He shook his head. "You see, mom, Zeph-" Luna cut him off.

"Mom, he's going on a date! We had to tease him mercilessly!" I massaged the bridge of my nose. "Why? Can't you tease him later? And if you tease him for going on dates, does that mean he can start teasing you?" They looked at each other, and then back at me.

"No." They said in unison. I handed them the gloves back. "Give him his Gloves, and apologize." They both nodded, and left. I sat back down. We sat there for a while, cuddling. Luna and Phoebus came back in.

"Hey Mom, can we go to Aaron's house? He's sparring with a few other people, and invited us." I nodded. "Alright. Just say hello to Ira and Invi for me, Okay?" Luna grinned.

"Okay! We will!" They rushed out the door so fast, I could practice HEAR the sonic boom. I sighed, and leaned against his shoulder.

"They grow up so fast. I can remember when I could hold them in one arm, and rock them to sleep." He smiled. "Yes. But that's what makes life so precious. It only lasts so long. You have to make the best out of what little time you have."

I looked up at him, and gave him a kiss. "You always know exactly what to say. I love you." He rubbed our noses together. "Love you too, Sweetheart."

The End.

P.S. I really like how this turned out, and I hope you did too. I'm trying to share my creativity and Overactive imagination with the world. Love, Octavia ;)


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